National Physicians Day – Dr. Shannon Fernando

May 1 is National Physicians Day, a time to recognize the exceptional physicians who choose to serve in the profession of medicine.

This year, as part of how we’re marking this important day, we’re profiling a number of physicians from across Lakeridge Health to showcase the incredibly talented team we have at our organization. Get to know Dr. Shannon Fernando, a Critical Care physician, Research Lead, and Medical Director of the Trauma program.

What inspired you to become a physician?

I don't think there was a single event or moment in my life that made me want to pursue medicine. Rather, I think this career best reflects the things I enjoy and value in life. Medicine is founded in science, and I have always had an interest in science. It explains so much of how the world works, and that understanding is constantly evolving. Critical care in particular is very much "deranged physiology”, and trying to understand and control the extremes of what illness can entail.

I also love the fact that my job has an important social component to it. One of my mentors in critical care told me to remember that "every day, you will meet patients and families who are having the worst days of their lives. It may be routine and mundane for you, but they will remember this forever.” This is so true, and it is a privilege to walk with patients and families in such times.

What are your most memorable moments as a physician at Lakeridge Health?

I started clinical practice in the worst pandemic of our lifetime, and the Critical Care Unit (CCU) was particularly impacted. I still remember how every CCU bed had a critically ill COVID-19 patient, and the wards were bursting at the seams with even more. As overwhelming of a time as it was, it was also incredibly inspiring to see multi-disciplinary health-care teams pulling together at a time of great crisis. Each individual exceeded their own personal limits in order to save as many lives as possible. I hope it is something I never see again, but it is also something I will carry with me forever.

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

I think, above all, I'm fortunate that I was able to find a career that really provides me with everything I’m looking for. In medical training, it always feels like you're making life-altering decisions very quickly and it becomes easy to end up in something or somewhere that doesn't make you happy. I'm lucky, because every day I get to show up to work in a place that does not feel like work. I have amazing colleagues in all disciplines that are focused on the goal of providing the best possible care for our patients. We have department and institutional leadership that is not interested in maintaining the status quo, but rather pushing boundaries and growing to exceed expectations. This absolutely has direct and indelible impact on our patients – and for that, we should all be proud.

Was there a particular experience that sparked your interest in delving into the realm of research alongside clinical work

I’ve always gravitated toward research because it has arguably had the greatest impact on the way I practice at the bedside. I do not have as many years of experience as many of my colleagues do, and so when I am trying to determine the best course of action for a patient, I would pull up a journal article or a review, in order to look for evidence. I then quickly learned that there were many unanswered questions in medicine, and that opened up the potential to have impact on patients. No one was studying it - so why not me? As I grew in research experience, I learned more and more skills, but at its core, that desire to better understand what decisions are best for our patients has not gone away. Fortunately, for me, I was met with strong support for research at Lakeridge Health, and it has been inspiring to see how quickly this program has grown in a short amount of time.

Tell me more about how you support the trauma program at Lakeridge Health.

I work as the inaugural Medical Director for the Trauma program, which reflects Lakeridge Health’s status as a Level 3 Trauma Centre (L3TC), an initiative from the Ontario Ministry of Health to improve trauma care across the province.

The goals of the L3TC program are to gather data on current patient populations presenting to Lakeridge Health with trauma and optimize the assessment and management of these patients. It has been a lot of work, but we have been met by great multi-disciplinary support and I have been fortunate to collaborate on this endeavour with a fantastic team. Ultimately, it is very rewarding to play a role in the start of a new program of care at Lakeridge Health.